“He wanted me to come home,” Johnson said. “It was hard and difficult to turn Tom (Gores) down because he’s a (Michigan State) Spartan and he made a good case.”

Johnson does not mention when Gores made extended the offer to him to join the Pistons. He also says that besides the Lakers and Pistons, the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors had reached out to him offering him a position.

Johnson played two seasons at Michigan State in college. He averaged 17.1 points, 8.4 assists, and 7.3 rebounds per game in his second year as a Spartan.

He then went on to have his well documented Hall of Fame Career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

From what Johnson said, it sounds as if Gores pushed the idea of returning home as his pitch.